An oil painting showcasing the work of a senior lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art appeared on Antiques Roadshow where it was given a jaw-dropping valuation.
The artwork, which depicts Scottish islands, was bought in a charity shop and was spotted on the hit BBC programme which returned to Powis Castle in Wales during an episode that aired on Sunday, July 2.
During the show, the guest explained that she had bought the work of art for £25 after going in to buy raincoats for her children. Grant Ford, who appraised the item, told the guest that the colourful work was by John Cunningham, who taught at the Glasgow School of Art.
Wales Online reports that Ford explained: "This is such an immediate, fluid, colourful painting, I'd love to be able to paint just like this. It really is a confident, colourist painting, now, it's an oil on canvas and it's clearly signed lower right, Cunningham."
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Asking the guest how she came to own it, she replied: "So I bought this painting 10 years ago, it's a Scottish scene, a peninsula on the west coast of Scotland and we'd all had a family holiday there.
"We were driving home, all the way back to Shropshire, and my children were only 10 and 12 and I realised the rain was coming down and I had no raincoat for the children, so I stopped at the nearest charity shop and went in to get a raincoat but I didn't get a raincoat, I got a painting."
"What a lovely story, gosh I wish I got there before you," Grant responded. He explained that Cunningham was born in Lancashire but lived in Glasgow where he worked at the school of art.
Following his retirement in 1985, he became a professional artist, painting the oil painting which was brought to the Roadshow. Grant then asked: "You go into the charity shop for a raincoat, and you find a picture by John Cunningham, one of his favourite subjects, what did you pay for it?"
The guest explained that she had purchased the painting tens years ago for £25, "I just think that's an amazing bit of luck because this is a very sought-after painting and actually holds quite a lot of value. I can confidently say it's worth £4,000 to £6,000."
"Oh wow, that's quite astonishing for £25, I'm glad I bought it," the delighted guest said, as Grant added: "You could have found a raincoat that day, luckily you found a brilliant painting."
